Safety cover



April 28, 1964 E. Y. MuRToz ETAL SAFETY COVER Filed Jan. 29, 1962 INVENTOR. v 4/06 M: 610% Cfifw'fbz.

ATTQRNEY.

United States Patent 3,131,014 SAFETY COVER Eudaldo Y. Mur'ioz, 92 W. 26th St., Hialeah, Fla., and Guido C. Mufioz, Coral Gables, Fla. (207 Harrison Road, Rome, Ga.)

Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,337 5 Claims. (Cl. 339-38) This invention relates to safety covers for electrical outlets, and, more particularly, this invention relates to a dummy plug and plate adapted to be temporarily inserted in wall outlets.

In homes in which there are children, electrical wall outlets provide a constant hazard in that small children may receive electrical shocks by reason of the fact that a child may insert a hairpin or the like therein.

In the past, there have been numerous devices for covering electrical wall outlets. However, most of these devices are complicated in structure, relatively expensive to produce, and awkward or inconvenient in use. Some of the available devices in this category involve moving parts and other ingenious but complicated mechanisms. This invention teaches a relatively simple, easily assembled, disposable device for safely covering electrical wall outlets.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a relatively fiat, easily assembled wall outlet safety cover which is adapted to be easily distributed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a safety cover for wall outlets having a structure comprising a flat plate having apertures to coincide with those of a wall outlet, and a strip of bendable dielectric material insertable through the apertures of the plate and into the wall outlet to releasably hold the parts in engagement therewith.

It is another object of this invention to provide a safety cover for wall outlets which is simple in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and readily adaptable for distribution in relatively flat packages.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a safety cover for wall outlets which may be readily removed from said wall outlets by adults, but which will present a safety cover not readily removed by children.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the instant invention, and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrating an assembled safety cover of the type described hereinafter.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, 11 designates generally a wall section having an outlet box (not shown) disposed therein provided with two outlet receptacles having female outlet receptacles 13 and 14 and each having two sockets, and an escutcheon plate 12. The numeral 15 generally designates a safety cover plate provided with two pairs of apertures 16 and 17 which coincide with said sockets. A pair of substantially identical strips 18 of bendable dielectric material is provided, said strips having a base portion 19, prong portions 21 and 22 and leg portions 23 and 24. The prong portions 21 and 22 are bent back along fold lines 27 and 28 forming said leg portions. In the distal ends of said leg portions outwardly extending flaps 25 and 26 are provided. The numerals 29 and 31 designate fold lines formed by bending the prong portions away from the base portion.

In use, the plate 15 and strips 18 are assembled by passing the leg and prong portions of the strip through the apertures in the plate 16 forming a unitary device. The plate 15 is then mounted over the escutcheon plate 12 by forcing the prong and leg portions into the sockets of a standard wall outlet, as is best seen in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the fold along the lines 27 and 28 will normally cause the leg and prong portions to separate whereby when they are inserted into the sockets of a wall outlet they will frictionally engage the sides thereof. The flaps 25 and 26 are adapted to abut the surface of the plate 15 from which the prongs extend thereby restricting removal of the strips from the plate; as is clearly shown in FIG. 2, the flaps 25 and 26 co-operate with the distal ends of the leg portions 23 and 24 to maintain the strip in engagement with said plate 15.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is, therefore, not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety cover for electrical outlets of the type having an outlet box provided with an outlet receptacle hav ing two sockets and an escutcheon plate comprising; a plate having apertures therein, said plate being adapted to overlie said escutcheon plate with said apertures coinciding with said sockets; and a strip of bendable dielectric material having a base portion and two prong portions, said prong portions being passed through said apertures and extending outwardly therefrom with the base portion overlying the plate, said prongs being adapted to be inserted into said sockets whereby said plate and strip are adapted to be releasably held together in abutting engagement with an escutcheon plate.

2. A safety cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein means projecting from the prongs adjacent the base portion are provided to maintain said base portion in abutting engagement with said plate when said prong portions are passed through said apertures.

3. A temporarily useable safety cover for electrical outlets having two sockets for receiving two prongs of an electrical connector comprising; a plate having two apertures therethrough, said plate being adapted to overlie an electrical outlet with said apertures coinciding with said sockets; and a bendable strip of dielectric material having a base portion and a first and second prong portion, said prong portions being passed through and protruding from one side of said plate and said base portion being in abutting engagement with the other side of said plate, said prong portions being bent back upon themselves forming leg portions having distal ends releasably inserted in said apertures, whereby said leg portions and said prong portions are adapted to be received in said sockets and lie and disposed in abutting engagement with said plate, said adjacent one to the other normally exerting a force reldistal ends being received in said apertures. ative to one another tendin to se anate said ron and leg portiens g P p g References Cited in the file of this patent 4. A safety cover as set forth in claim 3 wherein means 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS are provided to maintain said strip in engagement with 2 932 811 Abraham et a1 Apr 12 1960 said plate.

5. A safety cover as set forth in claim 4 wherein said FOREIGN PATENTS means comprise a flap in the distal ends of said leg por- 501,554 Canada Apr. 20, 1954 tions with said flap being bent back upon said leg portions 10 127,201 Sweden Jan. 17, 1950 

1. A SAFETY COVER FOR ELECTRICAL OUTLETS OF THE TYPE HAVING AN OUTLET BOX PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET RECEPTACLE HAVING TWO SOCKETS AND AN ESCUTCHEON PLATE COMPRISING; A PLATE HAVING APERTURES THEREIN, SAID PLATE BEING ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID ESCUTCHEON PLATE WITH SAID APERTURES COINCIDING WITH SAID SOCKETS; AND A STRIP OF BENDABLE DIELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING A BASE PORTION AND TWO PRONG PORTIONS, SAID PRONG PORTIONS BEING PASSED THROUGH SAID APERTURES AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM WITH THE BASE PORTION OVERLYING THE PLATE, SAID PRONGS BEING ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO SAID SOCKETS WHEREBY SAID PLATE AND STRIP ARE ADAPTED TO BE RELEASABLY HELD TOGETHER IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ESCUTCHEON PLATE. 